This week the horrible case of Alexandru Radita was back in the media spotlight after an inquiry found the boy was essentially left to die with his abusive parents in 2013 after they moved from B.C. to Alberta, because information regarding his case was not shared inter-provincially.
Radita weighed only 37 pounds when finally discovered by authorities and died shortly thereafter. The boy had suffered years of neglect at the hands of his parents, who refused to accept his diabetes diagnosis. Radita had been in and out of hospital for years because of diabetes-related illness, and had only received insulin occasionally despite his obvious need.
At one point, Radita was taken away from his parents but later returned. His case was flagged by child protective services in British Columbia, who kept a watch on the family. When his family moved to Alberta, his case was closed in B.C., and Alberta child welfare authorities were never informed about the family until it was too late.
Radita’s parents were later convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
The system failed Radita, and it continues to fail other kids whose parents, out of willful ignorance, destroy their children’s lives like Radita’s parents did his.
Justice Sharon Van de Veen, who reviewed Radita’s case, also reviewed other high profile cases of parental abuse leading to death in the Calgary region of a similar nature. She recommended Alberta help create a cross-boundary child welfare alert system so cases like these can never happen again.
It baffles the mind that Alberta and its neighbouring provinces don’t have something like this already. Right now, it’s a fact we keep better track of cattle going across provincial borders than we do our children.
And what do you think that says about us?
